karenmarie tries again in 2024 - part I

Welcome to my first thread of 2024

Five ways to describe me and books: bibliolater, bibliomaniac, bibliophile, lectiophiliac, bookworm.

The Good: Family, friends, kitties, books, in constantly-rotating order. Jenna being home is wonderful although I know living at home chaffs her and she’d rather have her own apartment and a kitty or two. She just got a job as a vet clinic receptionist/customer service rep and starts on January 8th. She’s pumped – scrubs instead of business casual. Ten months post left knee replacement surgery, and I’m happy with where I am with it. Right knee replacement surgery scheduled for February 29th. I’ve found a good hair stylist AND a good seamstress. Simple pleasures for simple minds.

The Bad and the Sad: Trump is not going gentle into that good night. Words fail me regarding that man. We’re heading back to the 1950s and heading towards becoming a third-world country.

The Ugly: The Gang of Psychos is the ugliest thing going on in this country right now. Vicious, evil people in power with a pseudo-Christian agenda that does not come close to following Christianity.

Like everybody else who gets to 70, I think “How did I get to be old?”

I read and am a charter member of the Redbud and Beyond Book Club, started in 1997. Here’s the 2024 portion of the 2023-2024:

Jan 24 - The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters – started and not particularly interested in
Feb 24 - Solito by Javier Zamora
Mar 24 - The Scapegoat by Daphne DuMaurier
Apr 24 - The Last Ballad by Wiley Cash
May 24 - Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

I happily turned over the reins of the Presidency of the Friends of the Library last summer and am Immediate Past President. I’ll stay on the Board for however long the next President serves, then completely leave the Board and just stay on the Book Sale Team. I currently volunteer for small duties to help various members of the Board. I’m a member of the Book Sale Team, which meets on Tuesdays to sort donations for spring and fall book sales, and I volunteer at the book sales in addition to acquiring many books.

I have been married to Bill for almost 33 years and am mother to Jenna, who turned 30 last August. The three of us live in our own little corner of paradise on 8 acres in central North Carolina USA.

We have three kitties. Inara – 16 ½. She’s deaf as a post and needy. However, she does all the things kitties do – eat/drink/use the kitty box/groom/go outside. Can’t ask much more from a kitty who’s 82 in human years. Zoe – 5. She rules the roost and once she’s sleeping it takes a lot to wake her up. Wash – 4. Our derp boy. He startles easily, spooks easily, and frequently sees bugs in place where there are no bugs in this dimension.
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Met in Connecticut in 1977. Friends until 1990, when things changed. Married in 1991.
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I basically abandoned my ROOTs goal last year and stopped visiting threads. One of my new year's resolutions is to read the realistic goal of 10 ROOTs and visit threads. I went down the rabbit hole of MM romances last year - smut as my daughter calls them. *shrugs* I still really, really enjoy reading this subgenre of contemporary fiction/romance and will continue until it no longer interests me. But, I will seriously try to read off my shelves. I've just finished one, would like to finish The Federalist this year before our country isn't a republic any more, and am also reading North Woods, a Christmas present, and An Immense World, all ROOTs. That's on top of the 6 MM romances I've already finished this year.


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New Year’s Resolutions – 2024
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Health:

Lose 10 pounds.
Work out for cardio health 3 times a week when appropriate given right knee surgery on February 29th.
Get right knee replacement surgery and assiduously follow through with all PT and other requirements.
Reduce red meat consumption and increase salmon and other healthy fish consumption. We did increase our salmon consumption last year, and will make sure to continue doing so this year. Red meat is difficult, frankly, but we might start eating “the other white meat”.
Continue low-sodium lifestyle and gradually work to reduce sugared items to 2-3 times a week.

Reading:

Read 5% nonfiction this year.
Finish The Federalist Papers, and read all my RL book club books, even including Demon Copperhead. Sigh.

Keeping up on LT:

Post on ROOTs threads.

Inter-personal:

Be in better touch with family and friends. I tend to isolate when stressed.

General:

As Judy in the 75ers says, pay attention.
Express gratitude for what I have - family, friends, intangibles and tangibles - every day.

ROOTs read

1. Fairy Tales for Angry Little Girls by Lela Lee 1/5/24 1/6/24 168 pages Hardcover

Welcome.

Fairy Tales for Angry Little Girls by Lela Lee
1/5/24 1/6/24





From Amazon.com:

The girls are back and angrier than ever! The fourth book in the successful Angry Little Girls series features the hilarious return of this beloved cast of characters, this time recast as fairy-tale heroines. Kim, the angry little Asian girl, stars in "Snow Yellow and the Seven Short Men"; Wanda, the fresh soul sistah, stars in "RapPunsWell"; Xyla, the gloomy girl, stars in "Little Miss Wears a Hood"; and the other girls star in furiously fractured versions of "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Princess and the Pea."

Filled with Lela Lee's culturally charged humor, this clever collection of new comics proves that there's an angry little girl inside of everyone.

Why I wanted to read it: Friend Karen gave this book to me in 2018, and I figured it was time to finally read it. Plus, it’s a jump-start on my ROOTs goal for the year and NOT an MM romance.

Clever, interesting, and all fairy tales I remember from my childhood. Well-done artwork. Not much more than that, really. You may not want to buy a copy, but if the Library has one, go for it.

Six word review: Clever feminist takes on fairy tales.

Hi Karen, Welcome (back) to the ROOTers. Good to read there more good things ten there are bad in your live.

Starred your thread.

Howdy, Karen! Re Like everybody else who gets to 70, I think “How did I get to be old?”:

I'm not there yet but I sometimes feel like Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard (paraphrasing): "I'm still young, it's the world that's gotten old!"

Hi Karen, really glad to see you back! My star is dropped. Not going to mention the smut ;)

I'm about to start An Immense World. Hope you're enjoying it so far!

Welcome back, Karen! Love the kitty photos and looking forward to seeing what ROOTs you unearth this year. Hope the knee surgery goes well!

Loved your chatty intro post, great to see you back!

Hi Karen! Star dropped here. I hope to get over to your main thread on the 75ers tomorrow. It's taking me forever to get around to everyone at the start of this year. My husband's knee replacement is scheduled for March 5, so we'll be dealing with recovery at the same time you are. I hope your second one is as successful as the first one was!

Welcome back, Karen! So good to see you here again.

>1 karenmarie: I had my knee replaced 1½ years ago and did a lot reading during recovery. When I wasn't elevating my leg and reading paper books, I was listening to audiobooks while I did my exercises.

Good luck with the surgery.

just out of curiosity, what is an MM romance?

>12 cyderry: I wondered that question, too murder mystery romance?

I, too had my knee replaced and it took me about 4 weeks before I could walk without crutches. I might have to get my other knee replaced too in the future, but for now I had an injection that helped me for the last year. That injection can be done 3 times, so 2 more to go.

>14 connie53: I thought I was going to have to get my other knee replaced but since I moved and am no longer take steps (everything is on one floor except my husband's mancave) I haven't had any issues with the other knee. Fingers crossed!

>15 cyderry: That's very good, Chèli. Avoiding surgery is so much better.